1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a heat-transfer image-receiving element, and more particularly to an image-receiving element used in combination with the heat-developable color light-sensitive element of a heat-developable photographic light-sensitive material or an image-receiving element used in combination with the color heat-sensitive element of a heat-sensitive transfer material, the heat-transfer image-receiving element being capable of keeping the formed color dye image thereon rigid against light and heat. In addition, the present invention relates to an image-receiving element used in combination with a heat-transfer element, wherein the heat-transfer element may be either the light-sensitive element of a heat-developable photographic material or the heat-sensitive element of a heat-sensitive transfer material.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Methods for obtaining a color image by a dry/heat development process has many advantages in the processing period of time, anxiety about pollution, and cost over the conventional wet processes. The method using the dry/heat process is broadly classified into two types; one is of those techniques using heat-developable photographic materials and the other of those techniques using heat-sensitive transfer materials. The heat-developable photographic material is composed fundamentally of a light-sensitive element and an image-receiving element. The light-sensitive element comprises fundamentally a support coated thereon with light-sensitive layers and other photographic component layers, the light-sensitive layers each containing an organic salt, developing agent (reducing agent), heat-transferrable dye donator (including a dye precursor), and, if necessary, light-sensitive silver halide, binder, and additives. And the image-receiving element comprises an image-receiving layer capable of forming a dye image by the heat-diffusion transfer of the heat-transferrable dye released or formed by heat development from the heat-transferrable dye donator contained in the above light-sensitive element, and may, if necessary, have a support.
On the other hand, the heat-sensitive transfer material is composed fundamentally of a heat-sensitive element and an image-receiving element. The heat-sensitive element comprises fundamentally a support coated thereon with heat-sensitive ink layers and other component layers, the heat-sensitive ink layer containing a sublimable, volatile or fusible heat-transferable dye donator. And the image-receiving element comprises an image-receiving layer capable of forming a dye image by the heat-diffusion transfer of the heat-transferable dye released or formed by heating from the heat-transferable dye donator contained in the above heat-sensitive element, and may, if necessary, have a support.
The heat-transfer element and the image-receiving element of the heat-transfer material in these heat-diffusion transfer processes should have at least a superposed relation at the time of heat transfer; both elements may be either in advance integrated into one unit or superposed only at the time of heat transfer, and may also be either of the type of being peeled apart after completion of the heat transfer or of the non-peel-apart type; these may be used properly according to purposes for which the heat-transfer material is used.
The dye of a dye image formed on an image-receiving element by the above-described technique which utilizes the heat diffusion, when exposed to light during its storage, is under an atmosphere where the dye is very liable to react with oxygen or a very small amount of a heavy metal that is usually present in the image-receiving element. Because of this, there has been a large disadvantage that the expected dye is oxidized to become a different compound, causing color stain trouble or deterioration of the formed color density.
The former technique, however, has the problem that the technique has no adequate antidiscoloration effect to light and, on the contrary, can accelerate discoloration, and also, particularly in the case of a reduction-discoloration-type dye, sometimes accelerates discoloration by heat (dark discoloration). The latter technique has the problem that a proper antidiscoloration effect requires the use of a large amount of an ultraviolet absorbing agent, but still no satisfactory effect can be expected.